Business Core Courses and Tracks

Our undergraduate business program's uniqueness is based on our business core courses and tracks.

To see the lists of courses in the business core and track specializations, click on the drop-down menus shown. All eleven core courses listed are required, and each track requires at least six courses. Students select one track to complete.

Core Courses

The undergraduate business curriculum consists of eleven core business courses. These courses will be taken from freshman year to senior year, but primarily in the junior year.

70-100 Global Business: Principles and Functions

70-122 Introduction to Accounting

70-311 Organizational Behavior

70-332 Business, Society and Ethics

70-340 Business Communication

70-345 Oral Communications

70-371 Operations Management

70-381 Marketing I

70-391 Finance

70-451 Management Information Systems

70-401 Management Game

Business Technology Track

Technology is rapidly changing business practices in all areas. The Business Technology track seeks to prepare students for careers where business and technology intersect, whether that be in finance, marketing, operations or entrepreneurship. Students pursuing this track benefit from Carnegie Mellon’s reputation as a leader in computing and analytic applications of technology. The business and technology track is regularly ranked as number one in U.S. News & World Report ranking of management information systems.

Required Courses

70-453 Business Technology for Consulting

70-455 Modern Data Management

Choose four elective courses:

15-121 Introduction to Data Structures

70-339 Information Technology for Finance

70-443 Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy

70-449 Social, Economic, and Information Networks

70-465 Strategic Information Technology

70-488 Interactive Marketing

70-643 Publishing on the World Wide Web

88-223 Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems

Employers of recent graduates of the Business Technology Track:

Apple

Freddie Mac

J.P. Morgan Chase

UBS

IBM

Entrepreneurship Track

Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon is characterized by experiential learning geared towards leading change, innovation and growth in start-ups, emerging companies and mature organizations. It seeks to bridge the gap between cutting edge research and the creation of economic value through commercialization of ideas for products and services.

The Finance Track prepares students to work in a variety of financial institutions, including asset management and commercial and investment banking to supply the analysis necessary to make profitable decisions.

Required courses

70-492 Investment Analysis

70-495 Corporate Finance

Choose four elective courses:

21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance

21-370 Discrete-Time Finance

21-420 Continuous-Time Finance

70-339 Information Technology for Finance

70-398 International Finance

70-496 Entrepreneurial Finance: Valuation and Deal Structure

70-497 Derivative Securities

73-359 Benefit-Cost Analysis

73-372 International Money and Finance, or 73-458 Money and Banking

73-392 Financial Economics

Employers of recent graduates of the Finance Track:

Citigroup

Goldman Sachs

Bank of America

IBM

Deloitte Consulting

General Management Track

General Management is a self-defined track that allows students to create their own area(s) of study. It is appropriate for students who wish to combine two or more areas; design a concentration that is not covered by a formally defined track; or concentrate in international management (in which case the track courses can be chosen to coordinate with study abroad). Students selecting this track should discuss their study plan with the track advisor by the middle of junior year.

Graphic Media Management Track

Information design has emerged as a critical success factor in all forms of communications related to strategy, marketing and operations effectiveness. Big data analytics is an important reason why visualization has become a key element of displaying data effectively. Students in this track learn the principles and techniques that make such meaningful display possible.

Students completing this track gain knowledge and understanding of management issues faced by multinational companies in creating and exploiting their global presence. Culture, languages and local customs, and the detailed relationships between these and strategic management decision making and effectiveness, are explored in an integrated international framework.

At least one semester of study abroad or a substantial internship abroad.

Language requirement

Demonstrated conversational proficiency in a language other than English, to the satisfaction of the Track advisor. This may be, but is not necessarily, the same language used during the experience abroad. Proficiency may be demonstrated in several ways, including long-term residence in a country that requires knowledge of the language and language coursework.

Choose two additional elective courses:

These track electives may be business or economics courses that cover international themes, as well as history, policy or sociology courses that cover regions of the world outside of the U.S. The following are examples of elective courses that are acceptable:

70-398 International Finance

73-372 International Money and Finance

79-271 Modern China

88-326 Theories of International Relations

Other course(s), as approved by the Track advisor

Employers of recent graduates of the International Management Track:

Citigroup

Barclays Capital

Merck

IBM

Goldman Sachs

Manufacturing Management and Consulting Track

Students completing this track gain knowledge and understanding of management issues involved in the design, production and distribution of goods and services. Because operations management provides the tools to analyze, improve and position a firm's operations to achieve competitive advantage, marketing and financial success, it is also highly important to consulting firms specializing in these areas.

Required courses

70-453 Business Technology for Consulting

70-460 Mathematical Models for Consulting

70-471 Supply Chain Management

Choose at least one course from the following list:

70-374 Forecasting and Data Mining

70-462 Stochastic Modeling and Simulations

70-474 Quality Principles and Techniques

70-476 Service Operations Management

And choose up to two courses from the following list, totaling three courses from this and the above list:

24-341 Manufacturing Sciences

70-437 Organizational Learning and Strategic Management

70-440 Corporate Strategy

70-449 Social, Economic, and Information Networks

70-455 Modern Data Management

Employers of recent graduates of the Manufacturing Management and Consulting Track

Accenture

Dupont

IBM

Ernst & Young

BNY Mellon

Marketing Track

Students pursuing the Marketing track learn how to apply the latest in research and data analytics to problems of creating and sustaining customer engagement through brand development, advertising and marketing communications strategies. Both consumer and industrial marketing are supported through courses emphasizing behavior, data analytics and supply chain issues.